Infections from influenza viruses pose potentially catastrophic global economic and health threats. Most current therapeutic strategies are directed at viral entry prevention, such as vaccination. These strategies face challenges because viruses display considerable antigenic malleability which enable then to circumvent innate and/or acquired immunity.
Influenza viruses pose a significant threat to the world population as causative agents in seasonal epidemics that claim many lives annually. Furthermore pandemic outbreaks of influenza can have a significant health and economic impact. The emergence of highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 and the pandemic outbreak of swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus (SOIV) strongly signals the need for further investigation of this complex virus and its pathogenicity.
Consequently, developing strategies for preventing and treating viral infection is desirable. New and effective compositions are needed to prevent and treat influenza virus infection.